The corridors of Daily Times’ old building have been familiar to the powerful presence of Khaled Ahmed, veteran journalist, intellectual and writer. This is the place Khaled Sahib wrote columns on the rising militancy and other issues. He is no more. His passing marks the end of an era for Pakistan’s intellectual and journalistic circles. He is survived by one son and countless fans, who groomed their intellect with Khaled sahib’s writings. He was 81.
Born in Jalandhar in 1943 and migrating to Pakistan after Partition, Khaled Ahmed studied and researched history, culture and militancy. He was a graduate of Government College Lahore and the University of Punjab. He mastered multiple languages, earning diplomas in German and Russian, with the latter leading him to official roles in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Khaled Sahib’s journey from a diplomat in Pakistan’s Foreign Service to one of the country’s most revered journalists is a testament to his unwavering commitment to truth and intellectual discourse. Other than Daily Times, he worked with some of Pakistan’s most prestigious publications, including The Friday Times, The Frontier Post and Dawn. His incisive columns, particularly his groundbreaking work on sectarian violence at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, remain definitive texts on Pakistan’s socio-political challenges.
His book Pakistan: Behind the Ideological Mask and The State in Crisis offers profound insights into the nation’s ideological and structural complexities. He studied words and it was evident in his column “A Word About Words”, published in Daily Times which explored the etymology and cultural contexts of language, captivating readers with his wit and erudition.
Beyond his scholarly and journalistic achievements, Khaled Ahmed was a mentor to many, known for his humility, generosity and ability to inspire critical thought. His colleagues and mentees remember him as an affectionate teacher and a steadfast friend, a man whose intellect was rivaled only by his kindness.
Tributes pouring in from journalists and diplomats to writers and human rights advocates show him a towering figure. His absence will be acutely felt in a country that desperately needs voices of reason, tolerance, and intellectual rigor.
Khaled Ahmed’s life was a masterclass in the power of ideas and dialogue. His departure is not just a loss for Pakistan but for the intellectual traditions of the subcontinent. As we mourn his passing, let us honor his legacy by striving for the values he cherished: intellectual honesty, cultural curiosity, and a commitment to truth. *